"Affordable" housing for NYC teachers in the Bronx. (New York: mortgage, loans)

[Rachael84]

I just read something so funny in the UFT (United federation of teachers) newspaper. I'm a NYC public school teacher, I must add. I had heard that the UFT is going to get teachers cheap rents in the city, so I was curious and read this article about it. All I heard was that it was in the Bronx. I won't type out the whole article, but here are some blurbs from it. It made me laugh...of all neighborhoods, they picked the south Bronx... what do you think?

"In order to finance the construction and permanent mortgage loans for 2 residential buildings in the Melrose section of the Bronx, the comptroller's office, on behalf of the TRS, purchased $28,265,000 in 2007 Series D bonds issued by the HDC bearing a 6% market rate of interest--a fiscally sound initiative."

"Once constructed, the units will be made available for occupancy by teachers, teaching aides and school administrators. The apartments will be located at 488 and 514 e. 163rd st."

"Many teachers who work in the city want to stay in the city and live in the city. They want to have their families grow up in the city. They want to live in the communities in which they teach, and this project is a way of doing that. It is good for the city because teachers will be paying taxes where they teach and it is good for all of New York because we get to keep the teachers we need to keep."

...First off, almost all teachers I know don't want to live in the neighborhood they teach in. We don't want to run into our students outside of school. Second, I don't think I would want to raise my family in that kind of area, lol. I think this is to recruit struggling college grads to come to the city to teach when they don't know what the south Bronx is like.

What are your thoughts?

[cyrusjul]

Well I hope that (you know who) doesn't harass or attack me what I will reply to you. But maybe he will. He should just respond to you and and not me. But ofcourse it will be all negativeness. Like always. Nothing new in what he says.

Anyway, I think that the area is changing alot. There is tons of construction and developmets in the Melrose area and I believe that area will get better in the future. It sure needs it. Yeah alot of developments are for lower, working and middle class people at them moment. But these people are chosen by a lottery and they will be check if they had any criminal history. So that is always comforting. Also condos are been built as part of the development. Who knows how they will do though. Anyway I rather be in an area that has a good streetscape, then full of abandonment and ampty lots all over the place.

I also think that private development will follow soon aswell. This area needs alot of time to change. So if you as a teacher just don't feel comfortable living in that area, then don't. But there will be alot of teachers who will move in, I am sure.

[Hustla718]

Typical of the city, it's not the first time.

Police officers are also offered discounts for housing in certain areas. These areas are usually crime ridden hellholes.

You would think city workers would be offered some place like Bensonhurst, Bay Ridge, maybe even at least Astoria. No, we get the South Bronx and Brownsville. That is becuase no one wants to be there anyway, so they are not loosing but gaining.

BTW, I know the new construction 514 E 163rd, that is a new low income/lower middle class housing building right by the old courthouse. Conviently there is more low income housing across the street, around the corner, and section 8 down the block. It's the ghetto. Other side is just pretty bombed out.

Second is the same thing next door.

I have a feeling most teachers being educated will turn this down. Much better areas to live.

Here is the block from the Air, just picture two large new squarish buildings.

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[Rachael84]

Wow, looks like they're really building a lot in that area.

It wouldn't be a place I would move to next year when it's done, but who knows how it will be in 20 years. Even so, I'll take the suburbs over the Bronx.

[Hustla718]

Originally Posted by Rachael84

Wow, looks like they're really building a lot in that area.

It wouldn't be a place I would move to next year when it's done, but who knows how it will be in 20 years. Even so, I'll take the suburbs over the Bronx.

Yeah a lot of low income housing is slowly popping up (although not nearly as fast enough which is why the city's homeless family population is exploading). This general area is where most of construction in the South Bronx is happening now. Dumping a ton of low income housing in Melrose becuase of all the vacant land.

However considering this is low income housing. I don't know if I would want to be there in 10 or even 5 years from now. Area is bad as it is now. The older non NYCHA low income housing in the area built in the 70s and 80s, especially further east are not doing well. 960 E 163rd for example, horrible.

[SeventhFloor]

Originally Posted by Hustla718

Yeah a lot of low income housing is slowly popping up (although not nearly as fast enough which is why the city's homeless family population is exploading). This general area is where most of construction in the South Bronx is happening now. Dumping a ton of low income housing in Melrose becuase of all the vacant land.

However considering this is low income housing. I don't know if I would want to be there in 10 or even 5 years from now. Area is bad as it is now. The older non NYCHA low income housing in the area built in the 70s and 80s, especially further east are not doing well. 960 E 163rd for example, horrible.

is that near forest pjs (960 e 163rd)? because if it is thats a ****hole neighborhood. the chinese man wont even come upstairs. if you order he waits outside the building and you gotta come down. cause i got peoples on union and 165. i'm telling you, as much as people dont like hustla on here, the **** he says is true and i can back him up cause i've been all over nyc. however there is a spot on tinton and westchester that makes the best shrimp platter for $5. prolly the only good thing i can say about around there.

[Songbird42]

I remember seeing a picture of the building and reading about it for teachers,
if I remember correctly the price's were a little HIGH, I know that some teachers with alot of years make good money, but still the prices I though were fairly high for someone just starting out in the field.

[Rachael84]

Well, it depends...the salaries are going up a lot. I'm a first year teacher and I make 43,300.

[Hustla718]

Originally Posted by SeventhFloor

is that near forest pjs (960 e 163rd)? because if it is thats a ****hole neighborhood. the chinese man wont even come upstairs. if you order he waits outside the building and you gotta come down. cause i got peoples on union and 165. i'm telling you, as much as people dont like hustla on here, the **** he says is true and i can back him up cause i've been all over nyc. however there is a spot on tinton and westchester that makes the best shrimp platter for $5. prolly the only good thing i can say about around there.

960 E 163rd Street is part of a group of low rise balcony buildings closer to Southern Blvd. The drug activity in those buildings is out of control. I used it as an example of what becomes of non NYCHA low income/lower middle class buildings over time.

The buildings described in the original post for the teachers are near Forest PJ's, and McKinley PJ's, and the Eagle Ave PJ's. Not to mention the new PJ's on the opposite side along Melrose Ave. So yes, the area you are thinking of.

Originally Posted by Songbird42

I remember seeing a picture of the building and reading about it for teachers,
if I remember correctly the price's were a little HIGH, I know that some teachers with alot of years make good money, but still the prices I though were fairly high for someone just starting out in the field.

Where did you get that information from?

Like the rest of the new construction around it the minimum income per year is 20-25k for a single person one bedroom. If they are charging the teachers more then that they are ripping them off worse then I thought. Bad enough they have to live in that area.

[Guywithacause]

Rachel where else would you expect them to make affordable housing? First and foremost they have to make it somewhere where there are available lots because they sure are not going to buy out a block of townhomes on the upper east side and build affordable housing just so you can pay $600 a month in rent. Clearly there are lots available, at a reasonable price, in the Southern Bronx, Central Brooklyn...it's really the few places left that makes sense (economic, societal, etc) to build this housing.

I understand that you welcome the affordable housing for teachers and recognize it as a positive step, unfortunately it is not perfect, and the city is really going over and above by trying to provide teachers with a place. It is unfortunate that you would not live there, but there are plenty of teachers that will take advantage of this MAJOR amenity...and maybe once all those people have moved in and made things "nicer" for you, you won't be able to afford it either. Just a thought.